{
  "abstract": "PFAS are persistent micropollutants subject to strict drinking water regulations. Although granular activated carbon treatment can effectively remove PFAS from water, early breakthrough, especially for short-chain PFAS, requires frequent regeneration and increases treatment costs. While many studies have related the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) to early breakthrough, the mechanisms affecting PFAS adsorption remain unclear. In this study, we used resin and membrane fractionation to isolate distinct NOM fractions based on chemical characteristics and molecular size. Batch isotherm, kinetic, and column experiments showed that the presence of the <3 kDa fraction significantly reduced short-chain PFAS adsorption. As low molecular weight compounds (<3 kDa) are consistently detected in source waters at concentrations comparable to or higher than those included in this study, their removal is crucial to improving short-chain PFAS removal during drinking water treatment. Conversely, long-chain PFAS adsorption was not notably affected by molecular size fractions but was significantly reduced in the presence of the hydrophobic neutral (HON) fraction. The LC-OCD analysis indicated that HON consists of compounds with similar molecular characteristics as long-chain PFAS, suggesting direct competition for adsorption sites between long-chain PFAS and HON. The HON fraction is typically present at lower concentrations compared to other NOM fractions in natural waters. This low concentration of the HON helps explain the delayed breakthrough observed for long-chain PFAS, in contrast to short-chain PFAS, whose breakthrough is rapid due to the high concentration of the <3 kDa fraction. We found that the presence of specific NOM fractions can indicate reduced PFAS removal, suggesting that NOM fractionation techniques could be integrated into monitoring procedures at drinking water facilities, as the presence of specific fractions can indicate reduced PFAS removal.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands",
    "wageningen",
    "Politecnico Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA) - Environmental Section, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy",
    "Politecnico Milano",
    "Evides (Netherlands)",
    "Wageningen University & Research"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Marko Pranić",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8362-3083"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Beatrice Cantoni",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9089-7963"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "David Johannes de Ridder"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Manuela Antonelli",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1293-2019"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "J.E. Dykstra",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0377-4779"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Albert van der Wal",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9570-7284"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/590jc3h73feww.bib",
  "cited_by": 5,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.cej.2026.178076",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "590jc3h73feww",
  "issns": [
    "1385-8947",
    "1873-3212"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.178076",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2304|Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4416897346",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894726055373/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-06-04",
  "publisher": "Elsevier BV",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/590jc3h73feww.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:26:58Z",
      "native_id": "W4416897346",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.178076"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2304|Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research",
      "subfield": "environmental"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Which natural organic matter components limit PFAS removal by activated carbon?",
  "title_text": "Which natural organic matter components limit PFAS removal by activated carbon?",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:21Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/590jc3h73feww",
  "venue": "Chemical Engineering Journal",
  "versions": []
}